Impossible
by AwkwardFudgeball
Summary: It stared with a vibe. Two, actually. Two accidental vibes that force Cisco to accept the impossible and play matchmaker. Mix it with the intensity of late season two and stir in a very bizarre meta...let's just say things at STAR Labs are about to get a little...odd. (Barry/Caitlin) *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

**(STORY CONTENT IS STILL THE SAME; I SIMPLY COMBINED PAIRS OF CHAPTERS)**

 **AN: I wrote this because I felt like it. And it IS, in fact, Barry/Caitlin, sooo if you no likey, no ready, because me no likey people telling me off in their reviews when I told them "no likey no ready".**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Flash.**

Just as he was about to let sleep overcome him, Barry's phone rang. He groped for the gadget clumsily in the darkness. His fingers closed around it. Squinting, he saw who was calling. He pressed the green button.

"Hey, Patty; what's up?" Barry said.

"Listen, Barry…we need to talk," Patty said, her voice quivering under the firm tone she was trying to contain.

"Patty, it's late. Can't it wait?"

"No, Barry. It can't,"

This had his attention.

"Why -what's wrong?"

"Barry, you've been distant lately,"

"Patty, I know,"

"If you know…are you going to tell me why?"

"I -I wish I could, but really, I can't. I'm so sorr-"

"Save it, Allen. I don't want to be with someone who -who doesn't trust me enough. Joe knows, Iris knows…why can't I? Barry, if you have a sudden epiphany, come find me. But…until then, this -whatever this even is anymore -is done. It's done, Barry,"

And with that, the phone beeped, signaling that Patty had both said and heard all she wanted to.

* * *

"Hello? Earth to Caitlin!" Cisco had called for the tenth time. He didn't want to say what he had planned. But he needed something that would definitely get her attention. So he said, in a deep voice, "Calling Caitlin to the stage!"

"What do you want, Cisco?" Caitlin said, her eyes wide. She obviously had something else on her mind that would make Cisco's comment seem like nothing.

This caught him off guard.

"Um…nothing, just…are -are you okay? You've been a little…out of it," Cisco stuttered, walking over to her.

"I'm fine, Cisco," Caitlin said, but Cisco knew how to spot a faker. Or maybe he didn't…whatever. That was Thawne ("Wells"). This was Caitlin. And whether he was socially awkward or not, he could still figure out what he needed to know. And all it took, was a small touch. He was going to use his vibes.

"Cisco, don't you use your powers on me! Cisco Ramon!" Caitlin said, standing and backing away. She began to backtrack faster.

"It'd be easier if you just tell me, Caitlin!" Cisco said, going equally as fast.

"It's none of your business, Cisco!" Caitlin.

"Feisty today, are we? Have it your way, then," Cisco said, and he ran at her. It didn't take much to tackle her.

 _He was at STAR Labs. Or rather they were. Him, Barry, and Caitlin. Only they didn't know Cisco could see them, obviously. Through the blue tint he realized that it was only earlier that day. A few hours, maybe more. Caitlin was checking Barry's vitals constantly. Her eyebrows were knitted together in worry._

 _"Barry…Barry, please wake up soon," She whispered. Cisco had to chuckle. They all knew that Barry would recover. How fast, that was the question._

 _Cisco broke his small laugh when Caitlin started leaning in over Barry's unconscious form. She touched her lips to his._

Cisco snapped up with a jerk, looking at an embarrassed Caitlin in disbelief.

"OH MY GOD!" He yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Shush!" Caitlin whispered, shoving Cisco off of her.

"You -you…you…" Cisco said, stuck saying the word like a broken record.

"He's my friend Cisco. I was worried,"

"Worry doesn't make you smooch your friend! You smooched him!"

"Cisco –"

"This isn't happening! Nuh-uh!" Cisco said, walking out with his hands in the air, although he was still facing Caitlin.

"Cisco!" Caitlin said, trying to calm him down.

"This is _impossible,"_ Cisco said, tugging at his hair, "Oh man, I should _not_ have vibed..."

"Cisco, listen," Caitlin tried again.

"Okay, okay...however _bizarre_ this is, I'll let it slide if you promise me one thing,"

Caitlin blew her bangs out of her eyes (whether on purpose or by accident, Cisco didn't know) and answered in a manner that seemed reluctant, "What. Cisco?"

"Just promise me that I won't have to put baby gates up in my lab,"

" _Cisco_!"

* * *

Barry had woken up not long after the incident between Caitlin and Cisco (which was to go unspoken). Cisco had spent several hours avoiding Barry, and when he couldn't, he stood a good ways away and kept his sentences limited to only a couple words. But Cisco was the opposite of subtle, and Barry caught on quickly.

"Cisco, what's your problem?" Barry asked, getting irritated with Cisco's odd behavior, "Is there something you're not telling me?"

"No, no," Cisco stuttered, "Not -not exactly,"

"Cisco Ramon," Barry said, taking a few cautious steps in his direction as if he were approaching a deer.

Cisco panicked, "Dude, stay back there. Stay!"

"I'm not a dog!"

"I have cookies...if you sit, you can have a cookie!"

"I don't want a cookie, Cisco. I want you to tell me what's going on with you!" Barry said, advancing further.

"...taco? I have tacos in my lab..." Cisco said, backing up.

"Cisco!" Barry said, "What. Is Going. _On?_ "

"I'm not at liberty to tell you that," Cisco mumbled, backing further away. He was dangerously close to the wall now. He reached into his pocket and threw a cream colored circle at him.

Barry caught it with no trouble whatsoever and placed it on the ground.

"Whatever...had a sedative in it anyway..." Cisco mumbled again. He took another step back and the wall was against him.

"Cisco, tell me," Barry said, growing both annoyed and concerned.

Before Cisco thought against it, he had gone to raise his hands above his head and in the motion had made contact with Barry.

 _The blue tint returned. It was the same situation he was in when he accidentally vibed Caitlin. Barry was lying down unconscious with a cone-like brace around his neck, the machine next to him beeping rhythmically. Beside him sat Caitlin Snow, a worried expression etched deeply into her pale face._

 _Cisco knew what was coming. Caitlin stood from her chair, and leaned over Barry. She touched her lips to his._

 _But that wasn't the end of the vibe. She pulled back, biting her lip in a nervous fashion. She turned away from Barry's still bruised body, covering her mouth with her hand. She looked as if she was trying to fight back tears. Cisco looked back to where the machine was still beeping steadily._

 _That's when he saw it._

 _Barry's eyelids fluttered a little, but remained shut. His mouth stretched into a small smile that faded quickly._

"You were awake!" Cisco exclaimed, his jaw quite literally dropped.

"What do you mean, Cisco?"

"When -when Cailtin kissed you! You were awake!" Cisco said, and Barry looked to his feet.

That was the moment, not when Caitlin walked in, but when Cisco noticed she was standing in the doorway. And judging by her expression, she had been there for quite some time.

"Well, this just got awkward..." Cisco said, walking out slowly.

 **AN: As I warned you before: no like, no read.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Oh my God..." Caitlin whispered to herself as she began to pace.

"Caitlin -" Barry started to speak, but Caitlin kept pacing and shaking her head.

"Barry, you have to understand that I only -I only kissed you because I was scared, I got caught up in the moment, and it was a rash decision and I'm sorry," Caitlin said, running her words together in a jumbled mess, her eyes searching Barry's expression, hoping to find any giveaway that he understood.

And it looked like he did.

"Cait, it's okay," Barry said, "I understand,"

As Caitlin breathed a sigh of relief and turned to walk out, Barry fought the urge to say something. Something along the lines of, "Wait, I love you!" came to mind, but that was terribly cliche and naive, and while he did feel a measurable amount of affection for Caitlin, he didn't think he loved her yet.

Instead, he turned around himself and sat down. What was he supposed to do? He didn't think he could do anything. Not yet anyway. He would just keep quiet, and act like nothing ever happened, and hopefully Caitlin would do the same. Dr. Wells didn't have to know, and Cisco didn't have to have a reason to awkwardly walk around on his toes. It was better this way, and besides -

Caitlin made it clear that she didn't mean for the kiss to happen.

And that's what they did the following week. Barry pretended it never happened, and he pretended that he wished that the kiss, even if he was "unconscious", meant something to Caitlin. But pretending worked.

Barry did his thing, running off to save Central City, and Caitlin did her thing, staying at STAR Labs behind the comm system and silently praying that she wouldn't lose yet another man she cared about. Dr. Wells never knew, and while Cisco did still shoot them glances every now and then, he didn't tiptoe around.

* * *

"A bread store robbery...who wakes up in the morning and goes, 'I think I'll have some toast made from a ninety nine cent loaf of bread that I stole'?" Cisco said, shaking his head when Barry got back from the task, "He can afford those expensive ass clothes, he can buy himself some bread!"

Barry looked at Caitlin, his eyebrows raised in question. She shrugged in response. Meanwhile, Cisco groaned and covered his face as he leaned back in his chair.

"Just kiss her already!" Cisco said, becoming aggravated.

There was no response from either of the two.

"Cisco, I told you, I was worried, and -" Caitlin began.

"And I told _you_ that you put your lips on his face, and that is _not_ a side effect of worry!"

Cisco shook his head and stood up from his chair. He walked over to Barry, grabbed him by the earlobe, and tugged him over to wear Caitlin was standing. The two were facing each other, about a foot apart.

"Now, you two, are going to kiss," Cisco said, crossing his arms and glowering at them like a parent scolding a child, "I'm going to turn around and count to ten,"

Cisco turned, covering his eyes with his hand as he did so to shield himself from the reflection on the windows. And he began to count.

 _One._

 _Two._

 _Three._

 _Four._

 _Five._

 _Six._

 _Seven._

 _Eight._

 _Nine._

 _Ten._

"Ready or not, here I come," Cisco said, turning back around.

Instead of the flushed faces he halfway expected to see, he saw the two still twenty feet apart. They stared at him in bemusement.

"Look, I don't know what your definitions of kissing are, but mine requires this twenty foot space between you, to be gone," Cisco said, " _Diminished,"_

"Cisco, we're not going to kiss," Caitlin said.

"Maybe not right now, but you will..." Cisco mumbled conspicuously.

"He marries Iris in the future, Cisco," Caitlin said, trying to accept it herself as much as she was trying to get through Cisco's thick skull.

"Are you literally going to listen to a piece of _paper_? Okay, well, technically, it was a hologram of a paper, but still...don't listen to it!"


	3. Chapter 3

Ignorance and faking worked just fine...until Zoom took Caitlin. Was he supposed to act optimistic?

"Barry!" Cisco said. Barry didn't so much as twitch.

"Allen, you need to get your head in the game!" That was Dr. Wells, who couldn't draw an ounce of focus out of him either.

"Barr," Joe said, placing a hand on the boy's back. But Barry didn't even stir.

"Barry, come on, man!" Wally tried convincing him. He couldn't help but feel like it was all his fault...so-called Jay had taken Caitlin, and the brilliant people in front of him were at a loss to figure out how to get her back without Barry's speed.

"Barry, you're really starting to worry me," Iris said, stepping closer to him.

Barry simply stood up, his head lifted now to show bloodshot eyes. He didn't say a word or make a sound that showed he acknowledged them as he left the room. No one dared to follow him.

"Great; now we scared him off," Cisco said, shaking his head.

*TIME SKIP*

* * *

"Um, guys? You might want to see this," Cisco said, leading the others.

"Caitlin!"

Barry had to fight the urge to run over, hug her as if she might slip away. He was reminded of the fact that they were just friends, that she didn't reciprocate what he felt. But that didn't change the fact that he did care, maybe a little too much, and he still wanted to reassure her, and himself, that she was okay. But he just stood there.

"She's a little dehydrated and a little malnourished, but she'll be okay," Henry told the group.

"I'm okay, Barry," Caitlin said, seeing Barry watching her with a worried expression.

"Dammit, _hug her!_ " Cisco said through the silence.

And for once, Caitlin listened to Cisco and wrapped her arms around Barry. He was shocked by how abruptly she stood, and at first he thought she was going to run away. The shock settled down, and Barry wrapped his arms around her too. She had a slight tremble that wasn't there before Jay took her, and that only motivated Barry more to stop him and hug her tighter.

"There we go, _now_ we're getting somewhere!" Cisco said, putting his hands behind his head and sitting down.

* * *

The "somewhere" they had gotten to had been elusive. They had hugged, yes, but that could very well have been another of Caitlin's "rash decisions". After that exchange, seventy five percent of their conversations were strictly business. Any personal conversations held...those were the times when Caitlin's hands wouldn't stop trembling, or Zoom's face seemed to be lurking in every reflection she saw. Barry hated Zoom for that.

And he hated him even more for murdering his father.

Caitlin noticed this, and had taken careful note of it that particular evening. STAR Labs was closed for the night, and everyone had slid on their coats and left. Not Caitlin, though, who wasn't fond of the idea of walking home when the sun set before she could leave; and Barry, who didn't want to move from his chair, let alone go anywhere when everything in the town seemed to find a way to relate back to his father.

"Barry?" Caitlin said timidly as she stepped into the room -which was Cisco's "thinking room". She leaned against the wall beside his chair.

Barry didn't reply; he only looked at some bizarre poster that he couldn't quite pinpoint the subject of. His face remained vacant of emotion, but his eyes showed that that wasn't the case. There was a lot of grief to go around, and Barry had gotten hit hard. Caitlin had too, and she knew that sometimes, you made across like you wanted to be alone. And maybe he did, but she didn't get any better with the Ronnie ordeal by herself. She had Barry and Cisco with her through it all. She wasn't going to let him suffer alone.

She didn't say anything as she moved her hand in one swift motion and rubbed his back, and neither did he. But Barry could only pose emotionless for so long, and he stopped trying to hold it in. At first, one or two tears rolled down his cheeks, which he promptly wiped off with his sweater sleeve. As the silence only kept giving him more time to think, they began to increase in number. Caitlin moved from her spot on the wall and kneeled down beside him. Barry took the hint and turned to her, burying his face in her sweater sleeve. She held him for once while he cried, instead of him trying to comfort her for once.

And it was this twenty five percent of their encounters that they loved the most, where they weren't being stiff and formal, where they could just be friends who cared for one another.

* * *

Triumph only bubbled up inside him for a moment. It was there for a total of twenty seconds, and then it was replaced by grief and something Barry could only describe as emptiness. He wasn't going back home...memories of his father seemed to hang in the atmosphere there, too. He was going to stay at STAR Labs until the sun came up if he could. He was going to sulk and mope in peace.

That had been his plans, but he figured he could make an exception when Caitlin found him in Cisco's thinking room.

"Hey," He said, not wanting the silence to allow him to brood.

"Hey," Caitlin said quietly. She moved and leaned against the wall where she had the last time they had an encounter there.

The room was quiet, and Caitlin was about to give up and turn to leave when Barry said, "We won,"

"Yeah, we did," Caitlin said, not exactly sure where he was going with this, or if he was going anywhere at all.

"But -it doesn't feel like we did. Zoom's gone, but there's so much else that's gone...it just doesn't make you proud, or triumphant or -"

Caitlin cut him off. She could've just tapped him on the shoulder and said "hey", or thumped him over the forehead. Instead, she chose to press her lips to his (which he _definitely_ wasn't complaining about). She pulled back, but only slightly, and whispered,

"It's gonna be okay, Barry. You're going to have to trust me, alright?"

Barry didn't answer; he closed the gap between them once more. And this time, he had no intentions of pulling away so soon.


	4. Chapter 4

STAR Labs was quiet, Cisco having not shown up yet. Caitlin was typing away at her computer, and Barry was running around the room out of sheer boredom. There wasn't too much to be done with Zoom gone. They hadn't even had a meta case in the past week. Caitlin had stopped the clacking of her fingers on the keyboard and was about to drift off, and Barry had resorted to tossing a ball across the room and running to catch it, when the comfortable silence was disrupted.

"WHAT THE HELL!" Came Cisco's yell.

"Is it a meta-human?" Barry asked, a little too overly eager to get out of the Labs.

"Mmm, let me think -no, Barry, it's not!"Cisco said, reaching into his pocket. After his hand got stuck, and he freed it, he held a black thumb drive up.

"...what's that?" Caitlin asked, a little suspicious as she walked toward him.

" _This,_ " Cisco said dramatically, holding it higher, "Is video footage. Did you honestly think that I, of all people, didn't keep security cameras in my hideout?"

"Oh damn," Caitlin said; it was one of the first times Barry heard her say a swear.

"Mhm, ' _oh damn_ ' is correct!" Cisco said, crossing his arms, "Now, let's see what's on it, shall we?"

Barry could have easily zipped in and out and destroyed the drive in a few seconds, but his feet were glued to the spot. Cisco had already plugged it to the computer.

"This, right here...two weeks ago," Cisco said, pausing it when Barry leaned on Caitlin, "Not so bad, and I have to admit, it was kind of adorable...but _this_? We do _not_ use our tongues to show _worry_ , Dr. Snow!"

The two in question stayed silent, and strangely enough, Cisco did too. And two clicks later and a simultaneous thud, Cisco had successfully rendered the two unconscious. And he, the guy who got a straight up 'F' in gym, drug them off by their ankles one at a time.

* * *

When Barry woke up, he panicked. His first thought? _He was in the pipeline._

Which was true, yes, but Caitlin was in there with him, looking pissed at the world. Cisco was on the outside of the glass, sitting in a lawn chair and eating chicken wings. Barry tried to phase through the glass. And just his luck, it didn't work.

"You two are not leaving the cell until you've straightened your personal problems out," Cisco said, tossing a chicken bone behind him blindly, missing the trash can by three feet, "I'll pick that up."

"You can't keep us in here forever, Cisco," Barry said.

"I've got two hundred chicken wings and a port-a-potty that says I can," Cisco said. Following his words, a thud sounded.

"What was that?" The three of them said in unison.

* * *

 _"What was that?"_

Cisco turned around slowly, seeing the expressions on Barry and Caitlin's faces. He didn't know what to expect, but it surely wouldn't have been what he saw. It resembled a person, albeit very vaguely. A mess of tan liquid dripped over every inch of the man to wear he resembled a spill of cake batter with stubby little legs and thin fingers. Cisco took only a second to note the situation.

"Oh damn let me in!" Cisco said, pressing the button on the remote so that the door of the cell opened a fraction. He quite literally slid in using a manner that he would refer to as 'Ninja Style' at any other time. He pressed the button again, and the door sealed.

"You know, you could've just let us out," Caitlin said, standing up from her previous spot occupying the floor.

"I panicked!" Cisco exclaimed, throwing his hands up.

"Stop panicking!" Caitlin snapped, beginning to panic herself.

"Dammit, you're not helping, Caitlin!" Cisco said. The two were giving Barry a headache with their bickering.

"Just - _shush_!" Barry said, waving his hands around frantically, "Do you honestly think that, If I can't phase out of here, this thing can get in?"

"Well...technically, we don't know what the dude is capable of, so...it _is_ a possibility that we're toast..." Cisco said.

"Okay, well, um...maybe make him mad? So he'll attack -showing whatever it is he does?" Caitlin said, wringing her hands together and pacing.

Cisco nodded his head and went up to the transparent cell wall, slamming his palms onto the glass, "Yo, bubbly!"

'Bubbly' began to grunt, and he quite literally began to boil. He advanced toward the cell.

"Cisco! You're not supposed to agree to stuff I say under pressure!" Caitlin whispered, backing up against the wall.

"Half your job is saying stuff under pressure -are you telling me I shouldn't be listening to you then?" Cisco said. ignoring any expression she showed.

Cisco then proceeded to taunt and tease the meta human. He began by simply waking witty remarks, then progressed to making obscene gestures and odd faces. The meta was very clearly angry, and by what must have been the eighth time Cisco stuck up his middle finger, he had raised his hands, palms facing the cell wall.

He blasted whatever the hell he seemed to be made out of at the cell, and the two hostages turned into three as their view was blocked. They heard a crash, and took that to mean that their bubbling buddy had left.

"Great...so how do we get out of here?" Barry said, trying once more to phase through the wall. Nothing.

"I could press the button on my dandy little remote, smart one," Cisco said, pressing the button that was supposed to open the cell. Instead, it was met by a grinding screech. The door didn't budge.

"Did you really think that would work?" Caitlin asked Cisco.

He answered quickly, "No, not at all,"


	5. Chapter 5

**The first half of this, I was just lazy. I didn't feel the writing bug. And the second half, sh*t happened. I'm really sorry it took me so long to update. Next chapter will have it's fair share of fluffy shiz, so please forgive me. The note at the end of my profile explains it, if you care to know than go there. I'm not bothering everyone because I know the vast majority of you don't give a rat's tail.**

Minutes ticked by and turned into hours as they remained stuck in the cell and the number of chicken wings dwindled. Barry had long ago given up on trying to phase through the wall and eventually, Cisco too stopped pressing the button that was supposed to open the door.

Caitlin sat cross legged, elbows propped up on the cold floor and head in her hands.

"Why the hell are we just sitting here? Are you planning to starve in here?" Cisco said, thrusting his hands toward the now empty chicken wing box (speedster's gotta eat).

"Cisco, we're not going to starve in here," Caitlin said, lifting up her head.

"Well, _I'm_ not," Cisco said, dissing her remark. He rapped his fists against the glass, yelling loudly.

"SHUT UP ALREADY!" Came Wally's yell in return, followed by thundering footsteps.

"Who da man?" Cisco asked enthusiastically as the steps grew louder.

Caitlin groaned as she said _un_ enthusiastically, "You da man,"

"Thank you, Dr. Snow," Cisco said, pretending to brush dust off his shoulders.

There was a large crumbling sound, and the tan mess that was blocking the view cleared partially to reveal Wally. Wally continued breaking at the mess until it was completely cleared. Cisco pressed the button again, and they were met with the door retracting instead of a mechanical grinding.

"I've gotta go check the footage!" Cisco said, jogging out of the room.

"Well hello to you too, Cisco!" Wally called over his shoulder as Cisco rounded the corner.

"Thank you, Wally," Caitlin said with a small smile before she too walked out.

"Hey, thanks man," Barry said, starting towards the door.

"No problem," Wally said, lifting his hand briefly.

Barry was walking towards the door, about to turn the corner when Cisco ran and bolted into him, knocking them both to the ground.

"Dammit, move, Barry!" Cisco said, straightening his shirt as he stood before running over to the yellowish mess that caked the area around the cell and littered the floor.

"Cisco, care to explain what you're _doing_?" Barry asked as Cisco picked up a chunk.

Cisco didn't answer as he put the chunk in his mouth, a little less cautiously than Barry was comfortable with, and swallowed it, "...it's a cookie,"

Barry didn't answer. Cisco picked up another bit.

"It's a cookie! I know my food, and that is a straight-up Nilla Wafer!" Cisco said, looking over the bit he had in his hand.

"You're joking," Barry said, not believing a word that came out of Cisco's mouth.

"Just try it!"

"I'm not gonna -"

"I'm telling you, it's a _cookie_!"

"I _seriously_ doubt it!"

"Try it!"

"No!"

"Don't make me use force!" Cisco threatened, holding up the supposedly "cookie" and advancing towards Barry.

Barry, of course, just sped to the other half of the room, over and over and over until both Cisco and Wally's heads were spinning. But Barry was still human, and with that came clumsiness. On the twelfth time Barry ran, he ran directly into Cisco, landing on top of him.

"Eat the cookie," Cisco said, holding it up to his mouth.

When Barry opened his mouth to say, "no", Cisco thrust it into his mouth.

"Okay... _that's_ a cookie," Barry said.

"Hey guys?" Caitlin said, reentering the room, not even giving the fact that Barry was on top of Cisco a second thought, "We have a problem,"

"Dammit! Every time I have an epiphany, I swear..." Cisco said, shaking his head as he walked to the control room. Barry ran there, sending papers in the air as he moved his feet.

"Our meta is attacking some bakery," Caitlin said, Barry checking the address before she could give it to him and he sped off.

"That's not a surprise," Cisco said, looking at the computer screen. Caitlin looked at him in question, "The meta-human. He's a bubbling lump of cookie dough, spewing it everywhere like a broken mixer - _The Mixer!_ "

"Can you hold off on the nicknames, just for once?" Caitlin said, typing furiously without taking her eyes off the screen.

"Hmm, let me think about it -no. Don't change me, Caitlin!" Cisco said fiercely, although both of them knew he was joking. It wasn't fit to the mood to laugh.

 _"Guys. I see him. I don't think he's noticed me yet,"_ Barry's voice came through the comm system.

"What's he doing? Were there many people inside?" Caitlin asked, listening carefully.

 _"There were eleven. They're all out. Someone called a little girl an ambulance. She got hit pretty hard. As for our meta-human...he's saying something, but I can tell what. I'm going in!"_

"Barry, you can't just barge in; we don't what this guy's capable of! You need a plan, a strategy -" Caitlin said, stopping mid sentence. But she wasn't interrupted. She simply cut herself off.

 _"Guys! There's still someone inside! The meta's closing in on him -I really have to go in!"_ Barry said, the sound of air swishing wildly heard faintly through the headpiece.

 _ **Barry's POV (well...third person**_ ** _omniscient, but you know...focusing on Barry)_**

He rushed through the door, and the dribbling meta human turned to face to source of the whoosh briefly. In that brief moment, the globs started fading, and a human face slowly started showing, a cold expression written on it. The glimpse was brief, and soon the face disappeared and was replaced with the bubbling tan.

Barry zipped behind the counter, the barely graying man ducking behind the counter looking at him both fearfully and gratefully. In a matter of seconds the man was safe outside the building.

"Looks like it's just me and you," Barry said, zipping around the man a few times. He didn't even seem a little disoriented as his palm bubbled and shot at him. Barry dodged it and watched as a chair became encased with a shell as it hardened.

"Oh come on, Bubbles!" Barry taunted, running around the room. The meta was still unphased.

He didn't even reply as he slunk along down a narrow hallway; Barry could see the restroom signs at the end by two doors. Barry couldn't run around him in the small width, and he was above phasing through a person, no matter how bad. Barry watched as the meta slid under the door, compacting himself to almost nothing. Barry ran and twisted the knob. It was locked. Barry let himself contemplate for a few seconds while he wildly twisted the knob if the man was right by the door. It was kill him if Barry phased through.

The sirens of the small child's ambulance wailing in the distance pushed the thought out of his head, and he phased in. He steadied himself just quick enough to see the last drops of goo slinking down the sink.

"He's gone, guys," Barry said, pressing the button on his earpiece, "I lost him,"


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't believe I actually let him get away!" Barry said, utterly disappointed in his self as he ripped off his mask.

"Hey-hey-hey, watch the suit, watch the suit!" Cisco said disapprovingly as he bent to retrieve the mask that Barry had flung.

"I don't care about the suit right now!" Barry said, his face livid as he turned to leave.

"Respect the leather!" Cisco called after him as his silhouette rounded the corner, brandishing the mask as he spoke. He added in a mumble, "Someone's on their man period,"

"It's stressful, Cisco. Give him a break," Caitlin said, albeit she didn't turn to face him.

"Protecting your lover now, are we?" Cisco said, crossing his arms as moved in front of her.

Caitlin didn't answer; instead, she turned and moved to exit the control room.

"You don't deny it!" Cisco called after her.

At those words, Caitlin stopped in her tracks and slowly turned to face Cisco, "I'm being a concerned, respectful friend. It's something you should look into,"

After Caitlin was a fair ways away, Cisco said with a slightly raised voice, "Sure! Hate on the Cisco! You know you love me!" and he meant the last part solely as a friend.

Meanwhile, Caitlin had made it her mission to find the place where Barry was hiding out. She had checked every room in STAR Labs three times over (and if there were more than that, she swore she was going to scream), and yet none of them showed any recent sign of the speedster. She decided to check outside first instead of going straight to Jitters, just to be safe. She walked the entire perimeter, three times over as she did the interior; Barry was nowhere to be found.

She didn't want to call a cab; she could use the walk. It wasn't like she got much exercise in the first place. A walk would do her good.

Upon reaching Jitters, she realized the walk had not done her well. It only expanded the time she had to contemplate the situation. She walked in the door, the familiar smell taking over her senses. She scanned quickly over the crowd, which wasn't very big, seeing as the sun was almost set and it was near closing time. Barry wasn't among the mix. She hung around for a few minutes to make sure he wasn't in the restroom, and when that proved to be false, she was beginning to go back to STAR Labs. Barry probably went home.

She pulled out her phone. She scrolled through her contacts (which wasn't a large sum; she didn't get out much), and found Detective Joe West's number. She pressed the call button.

 _"Hello?"_ The voice came.

"Hello, Joe? It's Caitlin. Has Barry been by?" She asked, biting her lip.

 _"No, I don't believe he has. Why, what's wrong?"_

"It's nothing. I was looking for him; that's all,"

 _"Caitlin,"_ Joe did not sound convinced.

"It really is nothing. I promise," Caitlin said, "I need to go now. Let me know if you see him, though? Goodbye," and she hung up the phone.

She would go home and try and get some sleep. She'd have to stop by STAR Labs first to grab her purse beforehand. She began to have the feeling that someone was watching her, as she did often since her capture by Zoom. She turned on the flashlight on her smartphone for a small sense of security. She heard a faint voice, but she couldn't tell what it was saying. It wasn't behind her, or in front of her or even on her left or right. It sounded as if it were emitting from above her.

She turned the light to the roof. She muffled a scream with her sleeve. _Dammit, Barry!_

"Barry!" She yelled. Between the dark night where not even the moon was shining, and the feeling that there was a person above her that made her feel like collapsing, along with the fact that her flashlight went out, she screamed as Barry ran to the other edge of the roof of STAR Labs. The lightning that tracked behind him reminded her too much of Zoom. She had gotten better, and hadn't had as many episodes, but they still happened sometimes. And this was one of those sometimes.

Barry, like he had always done, was quick to rush to her aid. The lightning didn't scare her this time, although she did flinch a fraction.

"It's okay, Caitlin. It's okay," Barry said, rubbing her arms up and down. His initial thought had been that the meta human was back. But as he reached the ground he had realized that that wasn't the case, and the circumstances had to be eerie to Caitlin.

Caitlin was shaking and her breathing was rapid, even if she knew she was safe and that it hadn't been Zoom. She let out a choked sob.

"It's okay, Caitlin," Barry repeated, "It's just me. You're safe,"

Barry walked her back into STAR Labs and she fetched her purse.

"I -I think I'll stay here for a little while longer," Caitlin said, glancing anxiously out the window.

"Then I am too," Barry said, sitting on the table she was standing beside.

"You don't have to, Barry. I'm fine, honest. I've just got a little more work I didn't finish," Caitlin said. They both knew that every bit of work she had to complete was already finished, organized neatly in a blue notebook.

"We both know that's not true," Barry said, gesturing to said notebook, "Zoom's gone, Cait,"

"I'll go back soon, Barry. I'll be okay," Caitlin said, biting her lip because who was she fooling? Not Barry that was for sure.

"I'm not leaving," Barry said, crossing his arms.

Caitlin wasn't going to lie, "Then make yourself comfortable. I'm not planning on leaving anytime soon,"

Barry simply nodded in return. Caitlin shuffled off to her computer, typing away as if it were noon and she had a mountain of things to be working on.

"Researching bakeries in a fifty mile radius...haven't you already done that?" Barry said, walking over and sitting in the chair beside her that Cisco normally occupied.

Caitlin didn't miss a beat and turned to him, "There are some things it doesn't hurt to do more than once,"

Caitlin returned diligently to her screen. She stayed focused for as long as she could with Barry's gaze burning a hole in the side of her face.

"What?" Caitlin said, the slightest hint of a blush forming on her cheeks.

"I was just think about what you said," Barry said, smirking as her face showed confusion, "That it doesn't hurt...to do some things more than once,"

Caitlin's heart either stopped beating or beat irregularly fast -she couldn't tell. Barry was leaning in, his head cocked and eyes shut. There was nothing left to do but lean in herself, closing the gap between them.

* * *

Barry closed the door quietly in the late hours of the night. He had convinced Caitlin to go home and get some rest only a few minutes before, and even running to take her home left him considerably later than usual.

"Caitlin called earlier," Joe said, startling Barry. He hadn't expected him to be awake, "She was looking for you,"

"Define earlier," Barry said, worried that Caitlin had needed him there again.

"A few hours," Joe said, eyeing Barry with suspicion. Barry breathed a sigh of relief, "So where were you?"

"At STAR Labs," Barry said, but his tone told Joe that there was more to the story.

"And why were you at STAR Labs?" Joe inquired.

"I had some...business, to attend to," Barry said.

"And what was this business' name?" Joe said.

"...Caitlin..." Barry mumbled, turning around.

Joe began laughing, slapping Barry on the back.

"Go on to bed, son," Joe said, still laughing.

 **AN: Look at me, actually updating.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN:I have the entire week off from school, so hopefully I'll write quite a bit!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Flash!**

"Seriously, do you _not_ think I have cameras over every square inch of this place? Well, except the bathrooms, cause that's creepy...anyway, still!" Cisco said, crossing his arms as he glared at them in utter disbelief.

"I...don't know what you're talking about, Cisco," Barry said calmly, and it would have been very convincing except for the fact that his 'I' was terribly drawn out.

"You're a terrible liar, Barry," Cisco said dryly, "Need I replay it?" he was brandishing yet another thumb drive.

"No, no. That won't be necessary," Caitlin said quickly, no longer pretending like she couldn't hear through her headphones.

"Then take your headphones out which aren't even hooked in, by the way, and tell me why you keep acting all kissy and shit and then acting like it's nothing?" Cisco said. For such a little guy, he had a lot of anger.

Caitlin reached up slowly and removed her bulky headset.

"Start talking," Cisco said sternly. Both Barry and Caitlin felt like they were toddlers receiving a parental trial over who ate the last cookie.

"Cisco, I care about Caitlin. As a friend. And that's it," Barry said.

"I don't know who you think you're fooling, but it's not me," Cisco said, "Continue,"

"I care about Caitlin a lot, is that better?" Barry said, growing irritated.

"And what do you care about her as?" Cisco said, tapping his foot to create a dramatic effect.

"A _friend,_ Cisco!" Barry said. He was now exasperated.

"False information, Allen," Cisco said, pointing his finger (a little bit too threateningly) at Barry.

"What do you want me to say, Cisco?" Barry said. Caitlin was surprised he wasn't yelling by now.

"I want you to say the truth," Cisco said simply, "Barry Allen -are you attracted to our friend and colleague, Dr. Caitlin Snow?"

"I -yes," Barry said, looking at his shoes.

"Dr. Snow -are you attracted to our friend and colleague, Barry Allen; also known as the Flash?" Cisco said.

"...yes," Caitlin said, focusing on the action of tapping her fingers.

"Then you may let me slap you _both_ in the face for being so _ignorant_!" Cisco said huffily.

Caitlin and Barry stared at Cisco, eyebrows raised.

"But I'm not going to, because I'm a nice guy," Cisco said, calming down.

"Well thank you, Cisco," Barry said, sarcasm very evident in his tone. While slightly ( _slightly_ ) less, he was still aggravated.

"Alright, you are _not_ helping your chances at not getting slapped," Cisco said. As Barry left the room, leaving Caitlin standing awkwardly off to the side and Cisco holding back rage, Cisco opened his mouth again, "Damn. Hate the Cisco, why don't you?"

"He just needs a minute, Cisco. He'll come around," Caitlin said, not moving from her spot.

The room became silent after that, the air filled with contemplation and decisions being made over what conversations needed to be held, and about what. Cisco was contemplating going and possibly apologizing, but he thought against it. He had only been trying to help, and if Barry couldn't see that -well, it sounded like a personal problem. Caitlin, on the other hand, was seriously fighting to urge to go find Barry. She, unlike Cisco, didn't argue with herself much longer.

She expected to find him in the time vault, Jitters, or maybe even the roof once more. But she didn't really expect him to be sitting against the wall right outside in the hallway, one knee drawn to his chest and the other leg straight in front of him. Caitlin slid down beside him, only not saying a word for a few seconds.

"He was just trying to help, Barry. He didn't mean to upset you," Caitlin said, but her words seemed to take no affect.

"I know it's been rough for you -" Caitlin continued, but Barry chose that time to speak:

"I thought we might have been done. Zoom was gone, and after losing my dad, I thought there was nothing else the universe could throw at me. There hadn't been a meta human attack in months. And then there's this guy, who is literally made of _batter,_ and I couldn't even stop him," Barry said, breathing heavily.

"This isn't the first meta human that gave us a first time. You have to remember that," Caitlin said, standing up and offering him her hand, "Now, what do you say we go figure out how to stop this guy?"

"There's something I need to do first," Barry said, zipping into his suit and rushing outside faster than Caitlin could yell at him for being reckless and to not do anything stupid.

Yet he was back a mere three minutes later.

"Where did you go?" Caitlin asked him, frustration in her voice.

"I had to get something," Barry said, then turning to Cisco and holding out a foot long, lime green bag to him, "Here,"

Cisco took it, "The jumbo bag of gummy worms..."

Cisco hugged Barry and patted him on the back, then began tearing open the bag, "You are forgiven, old friend,"

"Now, let's get to it!"

"Okay -what do we know about our Cookie Monster?" Caitlin asked, uncapping a marker.

"His name is _Mixer_ ," Cisco said. Was it so much to ask for them to use the name he gave him?

"Okay, okay -what do we know about the _Mixer_?" Caitlin said, placing the tip of the marker on the board.

"His motive -revenge, I'm guessing. He's been targeting bakeries in the area. Seven robberies, two homicides.." Barry said, "He must've been one himself. Cisco, check the database for any bakeries that might have closed or switched ownership during the time the accelerator exploded," he nodded his head towards Caitlin, and she jotted down 'revenge?'.

"Got something," Cisco said, pulling up a photograph of a young man standing in front of a pale yellow building, "Christopher Morrow...his bakery exploded during the night of the explosion -a body was found in the ashes, police forces couldn't fully recognize the remains...blah blah blah..."

"Zoom in on his face, Cisco," Barry said, striding over to the computer.

Barry took in the details of the man's traits, and recalled the moment when the meta human's face began to show. The same hooked nose, the same small eyes, thin lips, thin face...the similarities were unmistakable.

"I can't be certain just yet, but if I'm not mistaken -that's our guy,"

"The Mixer,"


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Okay, so I wrote a snowbarry oneshot yesterday. And someone left a review that contained a very big spoiler for season three, which i don't have access to (darned Netflix). So that brings the subject to a few points.**

 **1\. I am NOT mad at that person, hell no.**

 **2\. Knowing the spoiler (not going to repeat it, look at the reviews for 'Some Day' if you don't already know and wish to), this story will only continue through chapter ten.**

 **3\. However, Snowbarry people, I'm going to be writing a lot of that. I've written one of two chapters of something (it's posted), and I've got an idea for a drabble collection, and something about a baby goat and Cisco (don't judge me).**

 _"I can't be certain just yet, but if I'm not mistaken -that's our guy,"_

 _"The Mixer,"_

Christopher Morrow: the prime suspect in their little investigation. His bakery, once the hot-topic of Central City, was closed down because of more "eye-catching" competitors. His business was foreclosed, and several ransom letters found their way into the competitors mailboxes. Morrow, more likely guilty for committing the action than not, was not punished for it. The letters turned into robberies, and a few cases of homicides and homicidal attempts. The authorities didn't look into the fifty or so year old man who had all the right motives.

The team at STAR Labs did, however, and they found that this man had a ninety eight percent chance of being the Mixer -all they had to do was prove it. It was risky, it was a little bit dumb, and it made Caitlin sit on the edge of her seat. But a plan was a plan, no matter how poorly planned and/or executed, and they were going to do what they had done several times before.

They were going to lure the meta human to them, and Cisco had a contraption that would allow him to be contained.

It started with a faulty advertising add (props to Caitlin) placed in the custody of Morrow. The paper held fake details about a new cupcake house to be opened one street down from the foreclosed bakery. The time of the "opening" would be at noon. It was eleven thirty.

They would wait for the meta, and Barry would take it down with the help from Cisco.

* * *

Noon was only a few minutes away, and they were staked out, waiting for the meta human to show up (with the exception of Caitlin, who was listening through the comms). They waited in silence, Barry impatiently running in small circles and Cisco hoping his gadget would work. Three minutes past twelve, a car rolled into the drive. A man stepped out (Cisco noted that he looked exactly like Christopher Morrow), and his body was overcome with the goop that they had all seen before.

It was the Mixer, no doubt about it.

Barry took action, running circles around him. The man couldn't step through without being hit. Barry kept running, longer and faster than he did the first time, and the meta human actually became a little bit disoriented. The disorientation grew with each passing second, and Barry seriously doubted Bubbles could run at this point.

"Cisco, now!" Barry yelled and ran out of the way.

"I'mma go all _Inspector Gadget_ on your ass!" Cisco said, whipping out his creation proudly. The metal glistened in the sunlight, the red trigger gleaming proudly, beckoning to be pulled. Cisco pulled the trigger slowly, savoring the moment.

A high pitched, screeching sound came, and then died with the sound of mechanical malfunction. Cisco pressed the trigger frantically several times, nothing happening. He shook it, and slammed it with his palm in frustration. The side fell off.

"Shit! Plan B, Barry, plan B!" Cisco yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Plan B was stupidly simple, and terribly plain and possible a little too naive. Barry had no faith in the plan, and felt his rush of adrenaline sink. Cisco didn't have much faith in it, either.

Which is why, when Cisco strutted into STAR Labs hoisting a mayonnaise jar (replace mayonnaise with a pissed off liquidated meta human), Caitlin was just as shocked as they were.

"Who da man?" Cisco said, not waiting for a reply before saying, "I da man!"

"If you were 'da man', your gun wouldn't have busted," Caitlin said, following them down to the pipeline. They had a special cell rigged up.

"Focus on success, not failure, Dr. Snow," Cisco said, unscrewing the cap on the jar and pouring the meta into the airtight cell before resealing it quickly.

"He can breathe in there, right?" Barry asked. He didn't pay much attention.

"Oh, he'll have to use an oxygen mask until we can figure out something else. He would just be able to slink through the vents," Caitlin said, watching the bubbling mass on the ground take the form of a man, "Did you even pay attention, Barry?"

"Um, yeah," Barry said quickly.

"Then can you tell me, how Mr. Morrow over here got his powers?" Caitlin said, advancing towards Barry. Barry retreated.

"Uhhh...from the -from the particle accelerator...boom," Barry said, stuttering at the way Caitlin was looking at him, although he knew that he was going to receive a lecture rather than a kiss.

"I meant how his cells fused with the batter, Barry. How did _that_ happen?" Caitlin said, stopping moving towards him and staring at him with a stern look.

"He was in the bakery during the explosion," Barry said, his hand moving to the back of his neck.

"There's no hope for you," Caitlin said.

"You're distracting; it's not my fault," Barry said, moving towards her. Caitlin didn't retreat.

"Blaming me now, are we?" Caitlin said, raising her eyebrows and letting a smile creep to her lips.

"I guess we are, Dr. Snow," Barry said, placing his hands on her hips.

"Uh, hello? Did you forget I was in here?" Cisco said loudly, interrupting the moment.

"Sorry, Cisco," Barry said, taking his hands off Caitlin's hips.

"No, no -I'll leave. You finish your moment," Cisco said, but as he left, he pointed to the security camera in the corner as a reminder that he would see if he needed to fit baby gates into his budget.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Second to last chapter!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Flash. Still. Do we legitimately have to put these on every chapter?**

Their meta human problem had been solved, and for the first time since the first sighting, STAR Labs was peaceful. Tranquility ran throughout the building. Except in Cisco's head. Cisco's head was a mess of intertwined thoughts, every plot and scheme overlapping each other.

While the Mixer was locked safely away in the pipeline, Cisco had other matters to attend to. He had found himself wishing that Barry had gotten beaten up, just a little bit, in the hopes that maybe one or the other would get the idea in their head to make a move. Running around kissing each other and acting like it hadn't happened was not, in any way, acceptable.

So while Caitlin was off running the numbers for a serum, Cisco took the opportunity given to him as he and Barry played ping pong. They remained silent, patting the ball back and forth rhythmically.

"Ask her on a date," Cisco said, smacking the ball in Barry's direction.

Barry, caught off guard by the bluntness of the question, hit the ball in the wrong direction at far too quick a speed, shattering a light in the process.

"Damn," Cisco said, watching the last of the glass clink to the floor.

"I'll clean it up. Hold on," Barry said, grabbing the broom at super speed and taking care of the mess without hassle.

Seeing as there was no airborne object at that moment, Cisco figured he'd swing again.

"You really should ask her on a date," Cisco said, leaning against the wall.

"Who -what?" Barry said, although he knew perfectly well what Cisco said.

All the same, Cisco repeated, "Caitlin. You should ask her on a date,"

"A date?" Barry asked skeptically, sitting on the edge of the desk.

"Yeah, you know, a romantic hangout between two people who are attracted to each other -much like Dr. Snow and yourself -usually on the weekends. She likes Olive Garden," Cisco said, handing him a -a coupon. For Olive Garden. Barry wasn't surprised.

"No she doesn't," Barry said, handing the coupon back.

"Wait -how do you know?" Cisco said, letting the coupon drop to the floor.

"She's my friend. She's mentioned a couple times," Barry said.

"Haha -you see, that's funny, because if I recall, I've never heard her mention anything of the sort; and I've known her longer than you," Cisco said, putting his hand on his chin in mock concentration.

Barry simply shrugged and walked off. He was a lost cause for the time being. Caitlin, however, wasn't; Cisco set off to find his next target.

* * *

"You should ask him on a date," Cisco said, finding Caitin in the lab.

"I don't think that's going to happen, Cisco," Caitlin said, eyeing the serum in her hand carefully. She didn't feel the need to ask who "him" was when she already knew.

"Why?" Cisco asked, frustrated.

"For one, do you really think I'd ever ask anyone on a date? If the right person asks me, I'll say yes. But I'm not going to chase after someone...just for it to end in heartbreak," Caitlin said, spinning the vile.

"Ask him. Or at least tease him until he asks you," Cisco said, handing her a slip of paper, "He likes Olive Garden,"

"Well I, _unfortunately_ , don't," Caitlin said, but nonetheless set the slip down on the table.

"Dammit," Cisco mumbled under his breath, "Alright if _someone_ doesn't _do_ something, I'm gonna be pissed because I know you _both_ want to,"

Caitlin didn't say anything, only fiddled with an empty glass test tube, so Cisco went back into the Cortex. And of course, Barry was still there.

"You okay, Cisco?" Barry said, seeing the flustered expression on his friend's face. Barry couldn't help but smirk.

"I am so...frickin', _pissed_ ," Cisco said.

"We should never have let you watch that movie," Barry said, laughing a little.

Cisco mumbled something under his breath that Barry didn't quite catch.

"I said," Cisco said, breathing in deeply to keep from shouting, "Take _her_ to a _f*****g_ movie!"

Cisco continued, "Or go to Olive Garden, and just sit there! Or Big Belly Burger! It doesn't matter! Just do _something_ before all this shit drives me _insane_!"

"Before? I think you're too late for that, Cisco," Barry said with a chuckle.

Cisco chuckled too, but his was more menacing, "Believe me...I've got a whole lot more sanity I could lose,"

There was a moment of silence, and a few soft knocks on the door frame. Barry snapped his head around. Caitlin.

"Heard all that, huh?" Barry said.

"Yeah," She replied quietly.

"Good," Cisco said, "Good good good. Now _maybe_ , we can work something out!"

Barry and Caitlin exchanged glances.

"I'm gonna leave the room, and when I come back, a date better have been made," Cisco said, exiting.

There was a long pause, the only sounds being the drumming of Caitlin's fingers. Then Barry spoke:

"I think Cisco's right,"

"That he's got more sanity to lose? I don't think so," Caitlin said, wanting to avoid the awkward topic.

"Caitlin. Serious moment," Barry said, "What do you say?"

"I say...when and where?" Caitlin said, biting her lip nervously.

"Big Belly Burger?" Barry said after a few seconds. Caitlin looked at him like he was crazy, "I mean, you don't like Olive Garden, and Jitters is...cliche. I don't know of anywhere else to go,"

"...Big Belly Burger it is," Caitlin said with a grin.

"Does tomorrow night work? It's a Friday," Barry said, his smile matching her own.

"Yeah. Yeah, it does," She said.

"Um, I'll pick you up at seven?" Barry asked.

"Okay. I'll be waiting," Caitlin said.


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: This is it! Final chapter! Hope all 10k or so was enjoyable...**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own The Flash.**

Seven o'clock came sooner than expected. Right as Caitlin's clock chimed to signal the new hour, there was a hurried stream of knocking.

"Caitlin! Caitlin open up!" Barry said. He sounded as if he was clenching his teeth. Caitlin went as fast as she could with only one high heel on, and jerked the door open quickly.

Barry was standing there with a pained expression on his face. Caitlin didn't even have to ask what the hell happened. His shoes were, very visibly, smoking. They were smoking quite a bit, actually, and Caitlin had no doubt that the soles of his shoes had been burned through, and his feet had been burned.

Her suspicions confirmed true when Barry collapsed three feet through the door, groaning.

"Did you run all the way here? Barry, you live twenty minutes away!" Caitlin said, peeling his ruined shoes off his feet not-so-carefully.

"I...didn't...want to wait," Barry said through groans while his socks stuck to the burned flesh of his feet.

"Barry, I'm not worth _third degree_ burns for," Caitlin said, peeling away his socks quickly, as to get it over with.

Barry inhaled sharply before saying, "You're right...you're worth fourth degree burns for,"

Caitlin couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks, and she bit back a smile.

"It's already started healing, if you can feel it. Third degree burns damage nerves and you normally can't feel them...all the same, I'm going to have to clean it up,"

Caitlin returned with a rag soaked in warm water and a tube of antibiotic cream.

"This is probably going to hurt. Your nerves will have reconstructed even more at this point," Caitlin said, pressing the cloth to one of Barry's feet. He drew his breath.

"That's disgusting," Barry said, his stomach churning at the sight of his burned skin peeling off.

"I've seen worse," Caitlin said, clearing the other foot before applying the ointment.

"Doesn't make it less disgusting,"

Caitlin laughed, "That may be true,"

Barry tried to stand, but winced and sat back down.

"It's going to take a good half hour to heal. Don't get up," Caitlin said, placing her hand on his chest to make sure he stayed put.

"Even on a date, you still act like my personal physician," Barry said with a smile. His face then twisted up, "My feet smell like cucumbers,"

Caitlin laughed as she sat down on the floor beside him.

"We've got some time to kill," Caitlin said, and that only meant one thing...

 _Fifteen minutes later..._

"How the hell do you keep beating me at this? It's _checkers_!" Barry exclaimed in frustration.

"I didn't do stupid stuff -like barbecuing my feet," Caitlin said, nodding her head towards his feet, which were considerably better.

"That hurts, Caitlin. That hurts," Barry said with fake sincerity.

"Your feet should be better by now. Are you ready to go?" Caitlin said, slipping on her other shoe before standing and offering her hand to Barry. Barry pulled himself up, shifting on his feet to make sure he was "barbecue free".

"Ready," Barry said, "Wait. I don't think walking around barefoot is a good idea,"

Caitlin mentally slapped herself in the head when she remembered Barry's toasted shoes in the trash can.

"Right," Caitlin said, "I'll see what I can do,"

She returned a minute or so later with thick, stretchy brown house slippers.

"At least they're not pink," Caitlin said as he slipped them on.

"Right you are," Barry said, offering Caitlin his hand, "Shall we?"

* * *

It was later than they had originally planned when they reached Big Belly Burger, but when someone's feet get charred it kind of stops what you're doing for the time being. They sat down -Barry tripping over his chair- and ordered. After receiving the notion that it would be just a few minutes, Barry focused his attention on Caitlin.

"You like great tonight, by the way. I forgot to mention it earlier," Barry said, and Caitlin looked to her feet.

"Thank you, Barry," She said awkwardly. The next few minutes were silent, filled with awkward eye catches and other embarrassing flirtations. Both were thankful when the waiter brought their food out.

Barry picked up his burger, but his hands were the opposite of steady and the thing ended up on the ground, pickles and cheese spilling out onto the tile. He scooped it up, not thinking of the melted cheese, mayonnaise, and grease that would be stuck to his hands after he deposited the mess. He reached for a napkin, knocking his coke over in the process. The soda fizzled out over the table, into his lap and a little reached the floor and continued with a steady drip.

A hurried waiter came and mopped up the floor and gave them a tremendous stack of napkins to clean up the table. Caitlin said an apology to the waiter about the mess and continued to nibble on her fries as she helped wipe up the mess on the table with Barry. When it was all done, Caitlin took a few more minutes to eat.

"What do you say we head on back before I break my spine or something?" Barry said, staying a good distance away from his refilled coke.

"I'd say that's a smart idea," Caitlin said. They paid at the front, and Barry had offered to walk Caitlin home. She had accepted, not wanting him to go so soon -even if they did both have work in the morning.

Upon reaching Caitlin's apartment door, neither made any move to open the door.

"Thank you, for tonight, Barry," Caitlin said, "It was fun,"

"I had a nice time. I mean, besides the part where I dropped my food on the floor and spilled my drink all over myself and now I'm all sticky," Barry said with a small chuckle.

"Um," Caitlin said, fiddling for her keys as Barry began to look at her affectionately. She stopped when he grabbed her elbow.

She was frozen, her brown eyes locked on his green ones in a trance. She felt herself bite her lip again, and Barry inched forward. Caitlin leaned on her toes, slightly, to meet his lips. They pulled apart, slightly, Barry resting his forehead on hers. Their eyes remained shut, smiles on their faces.

"Will you be my girlfriend, Caitlin Snow?" Barry whispered, opening his eyes but not pulling back.

"Yes, Barry," Caitlin whispered back, kissing him on the lips once more.

It was not a very good time for Caitlin's phone to ring, and no doubt Cisco knew this -but that didn't stop him from calling. Caitlin put him on speaker.

" _Yo,_ " He said.

"Hey, Cisco," Barry said, leaning against the wall.

" _So, how'd it go?_ " Cisco asked.

"Well, other than the fact he got third degree burns from running over here, it was fine," Caitlin said, smiling at Barry.

" _So are you two, like, a thing now?"_ Cisco asked.

Caitlin looked at Barry, who nodded, before she answered.

"Yes, Cisco," Caitlin.

" _Well it's about damn time_! _Well, I guess my work here is done,"_

Caitlin laughed, "Okay, Cisco,"

" _Just promise me one thing,"_ Cisco said.

"What?" Caitlin asked, a little afraid to hear.

" _Promise me I still won't have to put baby gates all over STAR Labs,"_

Caitlin snapped the phone shut, her eyes wide.

Caitlin opened her door, "Goodnight, Mr. Allen,"

Barry stepped back and waved, "Goodnight, Dr. Snow,"

 **AN: And, done!**


End file.
